The Celtic Interconnector, which will see an electricity exchange connection established between Ireland and France, has taken a step forward.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has granted a foreshore licence for the €1bn project.
The 575km long interconnector is due to be operational by 2026, provided a marine licence consent is secured from the UK Marine Management Organisation.
The on-shore element of the project received planning permission three months ago from An Bord Pleanala, subject to conditions.
"This latest approval, on what is a critical project for Ireland, is most welcome by those involved in its development," said EirGrid chief infrastructure officer Michael Mahon
"We will continue to focus on the delivery of the Celtic Interconnector and look forward to the benefits it will bring, including allowing the movement of 700 megawatts of electricity between Ireland and France."
The undersea cable will mark the first direct energy link between Ireland and mainland Europe.
The ability to buy electricity from and sell it back into Europe is seen as a important part of Ireland's energy security mix into the future.
Once complete, the connection will allow up to allow 700 MW of electricity to move between the countries, equivalent to the power used by around 450,000 homes.
The cable will run from East Cork to Brittany in France, where Eirgrid has been working with its French counterpart Réseau de Transport d’Electricité.
The project is being partly funded by the EU, with the European Commission's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy Programme granting €530 million in funding for the project three years ago.
